REVIEW

The Church of Satan

by Blanche Barton

Published by Hell's Kitchen Productions Inc., PO Box 370, Times Square Station, New York, NY 10108-0370, USA. $8.95 plus $1.50 shipping and handling in cheque, money order or bank draught (US funds only). Overseas add $5.00.

Also available from THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE, 6/8 Burley Lodge Road, Leeds LS6 1QP. Price £11.45.

There are many books which have made history, and one of them is the Satanic Bible. Twenty-five years ago, Anton LaVey took the world by the scruff ot the neck and dragged it out of two thousands years of Christianity-induced ignorance, misery and fear. Not a task to be accomplished overnight, nor even in a quarter of a century, but we are near to the fruit of Satan's Master Plan.

The Church of Satan by Blanche Barton gives a fascinating biographical account of Dr LaVey's life before and after the founding of the CoS, and much more. Magick that really works; anyone who has applied the precepts given in The Satanic Bible and expanded in this volume can assure you that, unlike all other books on Magick (yes, I said ALL), this really does work.

Amongst much previously unknown and surprising information, the greatest shock is the revelation of one of the demons which Dr LaVey unleashed. You may feel like screaming in fury when you think of the years when it seemed that this demon was devouring Us rather than Them, but (when you come down off the ceiling) it is possible to understand that drastic measures were necessary, otherwise Christianity would have staggered along its moribund path for another few centuries. No-one else would have dared to do it, no-one else could have so accurately estimated the steadfastness of Satanists and other Occultists. We have suffered casualties and the war is not over yet. But the tide has turned.

Unlike other religions, which produce a multitude of books and not much else, Satanism has concentrated on the practicalities. Comparitively few books have been published by the CoS but they are all indispensable and highly entertaining. The Satanic Bible was referred to as the first psychological self-help book and it will continue to benefit its readers. The Church of Satan by Blance Barton is a worthy addition to that small selection which must be read by every Satanist (and should be read by everyone else, to find out what they are missing).

For information about the CHURCH OF SATAN, send 4 IRCs (SSAE within USA) to PO Box 210082, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.

Taken from the Dark Lily Journal No 12, Society of Dark Lily (London 1991).